Airport cab operators have appealed to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to extend the deadline for the replacement of vehicles manufactured before 2012, saying the cost of acquiring compliant vehicles is beyond the reach of many small operators and drivers. The operators said while they supported efforts to improve safety, comfort and service standards at Nigerian airports, the financial burden of replacing their existing vehicles could force some businesses out of operation.
FAAN requires airport cab operators to use vehicles manufactured from 2012 onwards before October, 2026. Speaking with journalists in Abuja, chairman of the airport cab operators, Prince Amosola said some of the vehicles they were being required to acquire cost between N15 million and N18 million or more. “From N15 million and above. N18 million and above,” Amosola said when asked about the cost of acquiring a 2012 vehicle.
He said the operators were not opposed to the policy but needed additional time to raise funds and gradually replace their fleets. The operators said the challenge was compounded by the relatively low income generated from airport transport services. Ekwuemeaku Alex of Edom Comfort Auto Lease Ltd also said a driver could make between N20,000 and N25,000 from a trip, but fuel and other operating expenses could reduce the amount left for the driver to about N10,000.
He said the situation was particularly difficult because the number of vehicles registered to operate at the airport had increased, while passenger demand remained limited. He explaining that some drivers could wait several days before securing another passenger. Aliu Abdulazee Aliu of Gentle Drive said operators who obtained their vehicles through hire-purchase arrangements faced an even greater financial burden.
According to him, financing an N18 million vehicle could substantially increase the eventual cost of the vehicle. “For one vehicle of N18 million, the principle of hire purchase is doubling the price,” Aliu said. The operators also questioned how quickly such an investment could be recovered from airport trips. Aliu said a typical trip to town could attract a fare of about N25,000, but fuel for taking a passenger to town and returning to the airport could cost between N15,000 and N17,000.
He added that FAAN’s operational charge had also risen to N1,500, while operators had to bear expenses for vehicle washing, maintenance and repairs. “That vehicle that is carrying N25,000, if that vehicle will go to town, drop the passenger and come back, is going to buy fuel between N15,000 to N17,000,” he said. According to the operators, the combination of fuel, maintenance and other operating costs could leave a driver with as little as N4,000 from a N25,000 trip.
FAAN had increased its airport cab operational tariff from N500 to N1,500, saying the previous charge had remained unchanged for more than eight years amid inflation, increased maintenance costs and other economic pressures. The authority has maintained that the vehicle upgrade policy is aimed at ensuring that passengers are provided with clean, roadworthy and comfortable vehicles.
FAAN has also said operators were given several extensions to comply with the requirement, including extensions to January and June 2026, before the proposed October deadline. However, the operators said the economic environment had made it difficult for many of them to raise the funds required to replace their vehicles within the timeframe. Market prices for 2012 vehicles also vary considerably depending on the model, condition and whether the vehicle is Nigerian-used or foreign-used.
Current Abuja listings for 2012 Toyota Corolla models, for instance, include prices ranging from about N4.5 million to N11.85 million, with an average listing price of about N6.8 million. The operators’ higher estimates, they said, reflect the types and specifications of vehicles considered suitable for commercial airport operations. The operators also disclosed that they had explored electric vehicles following discussions with the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo.
Amosola said some electric vehicle options under discussion were priced at about N38 million, while another operator said a financing proposal they encountered was above N60 million. The operators said the prices made electric vehicles difficult alternatives for small airport transport businesses. Emmanuel Ikeh Sunday, Secretary-General of the Coalition of 17 Car-Hire Companies said the operators had also raised concerns over vehicles converted under the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative.
According to him, about 80 per cent of their vehicles had been converted to CNG, but more than 99 per cent of the vehicles covered by the scheme did not meet the 2012-and-above requirement. He said removing the vehicles from airport operations before operators had recovered the money invested in the CNG conversions would impose another financial burden on the businesses. The operators said they were also prepared to compete with e-hailing and other transport providers but wanted all categories of airport transport operators to operate under comparable conditions.
They appealed to FAAN to consider a longer transition period that would allow existing vehicles to remain in operation while operators gradually replace them. The operators said their position was not a rejection of higher vehicle standards, but a request for a transition period that reflects the financial capacity of small businesses and individual drivers whose livelihoods depend on airport transport services.
